As a vegan athlete, now is the time to adjust your perspective on snacks, which have gotten a bad reputation for having a low nutritional value and doing little more than satisfying food cravings. But if you’re putting in serious hours at the gym, snacking becomes a required part of your diet, as pre-workout snacks fuel your body while post-workout snacks aid recovery. Snacks are the most immediate sources of fuel and recovery for your workouts, so what you choose and when you eat them makes a big difference. And if you’ve committed to a vegan diet, the snacks you choose can make a huge impact on how you perform at the gym … and how you feel the day after lifting. Here are three guidelines and tips for snacking before and after your workouts.

Pre-workout snackingThe key to pre-workout snacks is complex carbohydrates, which provide the energy to run that extra mile or lift one more set. But because carbs can be heavy, stick to light ones that don’t cause stomach cramps or make you feel sluggish. Some good examples of light carbs are bananas, dates, and apples. It’s also important to think about the amount of time between your snack and your workout. If you’re having a snack immediately before you hit the gym, stick to fruits. If you have more than an hour before your workout, choose heavier snacks such as oats and nuts to deliver a long-lasting source of energy to your hard-working body. The good news? Many types of plant-based protein are easier to digest than animal sources, which gives vegans an advantage when it comes to pre-workout snacking. Leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and romaine lettuce, are easily digestible and fuel your body with clean energy. To avoid feeling weighed down, avoid high fat foods before your workout.

Another great pre-workout snack is dried tart cherries because they’re a good source of carbs for energy and antioxidants for inflammation reduction. Bananas fight muscle fatigue and prevent soreness, while vegan yogurt with berries is a great source of protein and antioxidants. To drink before your workout, grab a bottle of coconut water to maintain hydrated with electrolytes while fighting fatigue. You really only have a window of one or two hours on each end of your workout to do this, so prep snacks in advance and take them with you. This window of time supports energy balance, insulin regulation, and carbohydrate use in the body. Research suggests well-timed nutrients during proper ratios can help rebuild damaged muscle and restore energy reserves to enhance performance and body composition.

Post-workout snackingMany people are hesitant to eat immediately after exercising because it feels counterproductive to pack on those calories after burning them off. However, eating within an hour after a good workout is beneficial because the period of time immediately after a workout is widely thought to be the most critical part of nutrient timing due to food’s power to rebuild, restore, and rejuvenate overworked muscles in the body. Plan to have a snack approximately 15–30 minutes after a workout to fight muscle fatigue before it sets in. The longer you wait to refuel your body, the longer it’ll take your muscles to recover. A healthy mix of protein and carbs is perfect for getting the job done. Examples of this are carrots with hummus, roasted white beans, and a mixture of whole almonds and pumpkin seeds. Protein shakes with vegan protein powder are popular post-workout snacks because they’re quick and easy. If you have some time to prep, put together a cold salad with broccoli, wild rice, and edamame for your post-workout snack. Vegan protein sources such as tofu, tempeh, and seitan are also great to eat after the gym.

Snacks to avoidJust because something is meat-free doesn’t mean it’s healthy or beneficial for your workouts. In fact, some plant-based foods should be avoided because they weigh you down with unwanted fat and empty calories without the protein and carbohydrate combination your body needs to thrive. Vegan chips and muffins fall into this category, as well as white pasta and rice. Furthermore, pretty much all frozen vegan meals should be avoided because they’re packed with preservatives that detoxify your system and prevent it from performing at its highest level. Although they’re convenient, pre-packaged granola bars should also be avoided as snacks because they’re typically packed with sugar that’ll give you a boost of energy before making you crash. All of these snacking guidelines apply to vegans in general, but especially if you’re training and putting in grueling hours at the gym.

Chris Willitts is the founder of VegetarianBodybuilding.com and a contributing writer for Muscle & Fitness, Vegan Health and Fitness Magazine, and Natural Muscle Magazine.

Today, Starbucks launched its first plant-based protein-blended coffee drinks at locations nationwide. The Almond Protein Blended Cold Brew features a blend of coffee, almond milk, plant-based protein powder, almond butter, and banana-date fruit blend, while the Cacao Protein Blended Cold Brew is made with coconut milk, plant-based protein, cacao powder, and banana-date fruit blend. The drinks can be customized by adding a banana, including an extra protein packet, and swapping cold brew coffee for a shot of decaf espresso. During the company’s annual shareholder meeting in March, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Rosalind Brewer announced that the brand is developing new plant-based options, including a food line it plans to debut by the end of the year.

]]>
Miami School District Kicks Off Year with Vegan ChiliNewsTue, 14 Aug 2018 01:40:00 -0700https://vegnews.com/2018/8/miami-school-district-kicks-off-year-with-vegan-chili
https://vegnews.com/2018/8/miami-school-district-kicks-off-year-with-vegan-chili

Florida school district Miami-Dade County Public Schools is starting the new school year with more vegan options at its 392 schools. “This year, we’re gonna be introducing a new plant-based vegan chili, cilantro, and a chipotle brown rice,” Penny Parham, the district’s food and nutrition officer, said. Parham also revealed that the district will provide free breakfast, which includes an increased number of locally sourced fruit and vegetables, each day of the week in its effort to keep students energized. Parham urged parents to teach children about good nutrition at home so that they make healthy choices while at school. At the beginning of the year, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) introduced vegan lunch options to 35 of its schools and has received overwhelmingly positive responses from students. “They are asking for vegan now,” LAUSD Food Services Director Joseph Vaughn said. “Students are paying more attention to what they eat.”

Greek vegan brand Violife recently expanded its distribution to 451 Whole Foods Market locations nationwide. The grocery chain now offers three flavors of the brand’s coconut oil-based vegan cheese: parmesan, mature cheddar slices, and smoked provolone slices. Prior to the national expansion, Violife products—which also include gouda slices, gorgonzola cream cheese, blue cheese, and mozzarella-style shreds—were available at select retailers in the United States and abroad. Last fall, international chain Pizza Hut tested Violife’s vegan cheese on the menu of eight of its restaurant locations, before expanding the option in November to all of its 262 outposts across the United Kingdom.

Vegan musician William James Adams (known professionally as “will.i.am”) explained his passion for the vegan lifestyle to HuffPost founder Arianna Huffington on a recent episode of her podcast, Thrive Global. “You don’t need the meat, you don’t need to have decaying flesh in your body,” Adams said. “The more I think about it, I was like, ‘Ew.’ […] I had death in me. Decayed flesh and crazy chemicals I can’t pronounce. You wouldn’t put that [expletive] in your car.” Adams eschewed animal products in January and created what he calls the “V.Gang”—or, according to the musician, “a group of people taking a hardcore gangster approach to wellness and [conscious] living.” Since his transition, Adams has credited his plant-based diet for helping him manage a number of health issues, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a month-and-a-half long bout of bronchitis.

Leather will no longer be allowed on the catwalk during Helsinki Fashion Week, starting in July 2019. The decision was prompted by a letter that animal-rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent to Helsinki Fashion Week Founder Evelyn Moyer. “We at Helsinki Fashion Week, with the support of the Nordic Fashion Week Association,” Moyer said, “are taking an active stand against cruelty to animals and the damaging environmental impacts that the use of animal leather brings with it.” In recent years, several high-end designers and labels transitioned to more animal-friendly materials, including Donatella Versace, who announced earlier this year that she would no longer use animal fur in her collections.

All-vegan organization London Vegan Food Bank recently opened in Canada. The food bank was founded by Cassidy Jordyn and Brennan Moore with the mission of making plant-based foods, particularly fresh fruit and vegetables, accessible to all Canadians. “There’s definitely a need. At the regular food banks, who do great work, they don’t actually have 100-percent plant-based donation boxes available,” Jordyn told local media outlet CBC News. “A lot of people who might be in a position to use the food bank and follow a vegan diet are out of luck.” The food bank is supplied by donations from local companies and Canadian farms and, in addition to fresh produce, offers users vegan muffins, plant-based milk, pasta, bagels, and Oreos—which the bank ships to Canadians in need. The duo plan to open a “pay what you wish” store in the future with expanded vegan options.

A zombie thriller, tentatively titled A-44, will begin production in October. Chris Cooney—a horror film buff and 24-year vegan—wrote the script for the forthcoming film in 2009 before starting the popular YouTube channel “The Vegan Zombie,” and penning the subsequent cookbook. Cooney initially wrote the script by hand and revised it to fit a feature-length film after he was approached by award-winning director/writer Brooklyn Hudson. After leaving an unsatisfying career, Cooney started “The Vegan Zombie” as a way to combine his three passions: horror movies, filmmaking, and veganism. “I had to tackle my feelings of being shy,” Cooney told VegNews, “and do it in a way that was fun and entertaining.” In addition to writing A-44, Cooney will play the lead role, alongside several A-list celebrities (including an actor from cult-classic film E.T.) whose names will be disclosed in coming months. While the film will appeal to horror genre fans, Cooney says its underlying theme will stay true to his passion of promoting veganism, both on-screen and off. On-set, all products and services used for the film will be vegan, including catered food for cast and crew, makeup, and props, with several beloved vegan products making cameos on-screen. Cooney launched a Kickstarter campaign today to help cover production costs and plans to keep his YouTube channel updated during the filming of A-44, which will take place in Syracuse, NY. “Veganism is not a fad,” Cooney said. “I’ve seen it grow through two decades. I don’t ever want to quit.”

Millions of tourists flock annually to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada to witness the thunderous water flow along the Niagara river, but what many travelers don’t know is that this beautiful region is also home to a booming vegan scene with international influences. In fact, many restaurants in the area have begun offering separate plant-based menus to meet the demand for cruelty-free food. Furthermore, just northwest of Niagara Falls lies St. Catharines, where the nickname “The Garden City” is fitting due to its shift toward more cruelty-free businesses motivated by an increasing population of young vegans. In addition, there are vegan restaurants located near the Niagara Escarpment, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Besides vegan food, the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake (located north of Niagara Falls) is ripe with arts, culture, vineyards, wineries, and picturesque views of Lake Ontario. Whether you’re visiting for one day or an entire week, prepare to fall in love with the Niagara region’s variety of vegan flavors and breathtaking scenery.

The fallsThere is endless excitement and adventure on the Canadian side of the majestic Niagara Falls. Weather permitting, hop aboard a Hornblower Niagara Cruise to the bottom of the falls to experience their power first-hand. Once you’re done marveling at this natural wonder, spend the afternoon on Clifton Hill. Open year-round, this public street has become an amusement area full of attractions for the whole family. There is a dinosaur-themed outdoor miniature golf course, the Great Canadian Midway indoor arcade, and the Niagara Skywheel, which will take you 175 feet in the air overlooking the falls. For dinner, head down Lundy’s Lane to Mai Thai Cuisine for authentic Thai food. The menu features many delicious vegan options, including fresh vegetable rolls with sweet chili dipping sauce. If you like spicy food, check out the large vegan menu at Moksha Indian Bistro, where the vegetable pakoras (fried chickpea flour-battered fritters) are delectable. Complete your evening watching the nightly summer fireworks display over the illuminated falls.

Indulge in The Garden CityFor the most vegan options in the region, go to St. Catharines. Saint Paul Street in the downtown area is home to Rise Above, a must-visit vegan restaurant/bakery with a seasonal menu. For lunch, have a veggie burger with a side of cashew macaroni and cheese or a kale Caesar salad. On Sundays, Rise Above offers a brunch menu with a weekly pancake special that ranges from peach crumble to banana walnut and toffee. Down the street, choose from more than a dozen gourmet vegan pizzas such as the Hawaiian pizza (topped with hot sauce, pineapple, and jackfruit), fresh salads and cruelty-free nachos at Bella Noella’s. For an Italian meal, reserve a table at Cafe Garibaldi, where the risotto primavera comes with zucchini, pepper, mushroom, carrots, and spinach in a tomato-basil sauce. For a tasty snack, pick up a cold-pressed juice blend and some coconut-cashew granola at Small Batch Co. Then, treat yourself with a stop at Beechwood Doughnuts, where plant-based varieties include lemon poppy seed, strawberry-rhubarb fritter, and cookies and cream. On Ontario Street, The Lemon Tree brings a taste of the Mediterranean to Canada as a completely vegan restaurant serving traditional fare such as hummus with grilled pita bread or the dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) with tzatziki sauce. After eating your way through St. Catharines, head to the waterfront community of Port Dalhousie for a stroll along Lakeside Park beach, and look for the antique carousel that costs five cents per ride.

Unwind in a small townNiagara-on-the-Lake is a quaint old village with a European feel. On Queen Street, there are plenty of boutique shops and historic buildings, including the Royal George Theatre. Step into Old Town Goodies for a vegan panini with sun-dried tomato guacamole or a cranberry-balsamic salad, and don’t leave without stocking up on some pure Canadian maple syrup. During spring and summer, play a few holes at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club, North America’s oldest course. Finally, the climate in the Niagara Region creates a perfect environment for cultivating grapes, so have a tour and a tasting of vegan-friendly wines at Reif Estate Winery on the Niagara Parkway.

Explore the escarpmentStart your day with a modern breakfast (avocado toast, vegan carrot gravlax, or French toast with spiced pears) at Revalee Brunch Café in Vineland, Ontario. Then, hike the trails at the Ball’s Falls Conservation Area in Lincoln, Ontario, where guests can learn about the heritage of this site while enjoying the 19th century buildings on the property. After a long day, refuel at Root 8 in Beamsville, Ontario. This hidden gem is a fully gluten-free, vegan restaurant offering a selection of Buffalo cauliflower wings, Buddha bowls, refreshing juice, and almond milk smoothies. Before you leave, make sure to ask about the locally made Sweet Sunshine Ice Cream, which is handcrafted using plant-based ingredients into fun flavors such as chocolate raspberry, charcoal, and s’mores.

All-vegan pizza shop Noah’s Restaurant will replace a shuttered paleo-themed eatery in Mainz, Germany in September. The restaurant is owned by 21-year-old nutritionist Yannick Wild, who plans to build all of the shop’s furniture by hand. Noah’s will serve nine plant-based pizza options such as the classic Margherita, topped with vegan cheese and local, organic ingredients, as well as vegan bowls, appetizers, and desserts. The pizzas will be available to order and eat in-house, with delivery service available on weekends. “I’ve had the dream since childhood to open my own restaurant,” Wild said. “That’s why I moved from Idar-Oberstein to Mainz. Here, the concept simply fits better.” Earlier this month, market research firm Mintel named Germany—which produced 15 percent of the total new plant-based products launched worldwide in the last year—the top vegan food producer in 2018.

Dairy company Dean Foods announced a plan this month to refocus its business on its plant-based holdings, particularly vegan flax-based milk and yogurt brand Good Karma Foods. In 2017, Dean Foods made a minority stake investment in Good Karma and increased its investment in the vegan brand this July to become the majority stakeholder. In May, Dean Foods discontinued its contracts with dozens of its milk suppliers after reporting a 91-percent decrease in its third fiscal quarter of 2017. “We want to be back in the plant-based business,” Dean Foods CEO Ralph P. Scozzafava said. “We think Good Karma is a platform for us. And I will remind everyone that was here, remember how small Silk was when this company brought it in-house many years ago. Just keep in mind that with the playbook for Good Karma, we’ll look a lot like that, and that’s our commitment.” As dairy consumption continues to decline, savvy companies are taking advantage of the growing plant-based milk industry, including Elmhurst which ceased operations as a dairy company in 2016 and transformed into a successful nut milk-based brand last year.

Loma Linda University will become the first Southern California school to offer a doctoral program in plant-based nutrition when it launches its new PhD program this fall. The program will align with accreditation requirements set forth by the Council on Education for Public Health and will supplant the school’s existing Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program. Students will focus on several areas of study including nutritional epidemiology, the impact of dietary choices on the environment, the effects of plant-based nutrition on disease prevention, and community nutrition. Students will also engage in clinical trials to determine the long-term effects of plant-based foods, particularly nuts and soy, on overall health. “The refocused curriculum and degree offering are part of the school’s new strategic direction,” program director Sujatha Rajaram, PhD said. Last year, the University of California, Berkeley added two courses that challenged students to explore new technologies to innovate plant-based foods, including the “Plant-Based Seafood Collider” class which resulted in the launch of Terramino Foods—a plant-based seafood startup that raised $4.25 million in seed funding in June.

New plant-based eatery Todo Verde is slated to open in East Los Angeles. Founder Jocelyn Ramirez was inspired to open the eatery after helping her family overcome health-related issues such as diabetes and cancer with plant-based foods. Ramirez first launched Todo Verde in 2015 as a catering company with the mission of making vegan food, inspired by her Mexican and South American heritage, accessible to East Angelenos. “Veganism is a radical form of activism that disrupts capitalist systems and puts people back in control of keeping our communities healthy,” Ramirez told VegNews. “Many food corporations focus their marketing efforts on low-income communities of color and feed us food that is making us sick. Veganism is a way to fight against that system and continue the ancestral food traditions that have been passed down for generations.” The menu will feature dishes such as ceviche made with hearts of palm in lieu of fish, an oyster mushroom-based coctel, and shredded jackfruit-based vegan tuna. Ramirez launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo in June to help with operating costs and plans to use Todo Verde as an educational space to teach the local community about the benefits of plant-based nutrition. “Our communities are dealing with intersectional issues of class and race that affect our access to the same good food available in other wealthier communities across Los Angeles,” Ramirez said. “We have to reclaim our health and have conversations around decolonizing our diets in an effort to dismantle this oppressive system.”

Canada-based vegan fast-food chain Globally Local will launch its own “bleeding” Preposterous Burger by the end of August. Globally Local CEO James McInnes told VegNews that the burger—which was in development for nearly one year—“bleeds” with the help of dehydrated beet extract. The patty is comprised of meat-like granules made from wheat, oat, and soy that are able to absorb and release fat and moisture to mimic the essential qualities of its animal-derived counterpart. “We wanted to create something that has the same look, feel, and sizzle of meat, without any compromise in flavor,” McInnes said. In addition to operating a food truck, Globally Local opened its first location in London, ON in January 2017, followed by a second London location in June featuring the world’s first 24-hour vegan drive thru, and is currently looking to expand to at least 10 North American franchise locations. McInnes plans to distribute the Preposterous Burger to Globally Local franchise locations and is in distribution negotiations with other North American fast-food chains, which he says have shown “significant interest” in the vegan burger. The company recently began operations at a new facility where it can produce 250,000 Preposterous Burgers per month, with plans to increase production based on demand. After the successful launches of United States-based Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger, a number of companies around the world have created their own versions of “bleeding” vegan burgers, including supermarket Iceland’s No Bull Burger, United Kingdom-based company Moving Mountains Foods’B-12 Burger, and Don Lee Farms’ Organic Plant-Based Raw Burgers—which sold 1 million units at Costco in 60 days.

Last week, vegan pop-up Winter Park Biscuit Co. debuted a new biscuit sandwich featuring new product JUST Egg to a crowd of Floridians, who lined-up around the block to sample the vegan breakfast sandwich. Developed by vegan chef Mary Mattern, the “Sasage Just Egg & Cheez” biscuit sandwich sold out in three hours. Winter Park Biscuit Co. will continue to host pop-ups around Florida while Chef Mattern—former personal chef to vegan musicians Ellie Goulding and Blink-182’s drummer Travis Barker—helps to establish the restaurant’s brick-and-mortar location. Last year, food technology startup JUST debuted its mung bean-based egg replacer at San Francisco eatery Flore before expanding JUST Egg to several restaurants, including vegan chain Veggie Grill where it is served as a filling inside of its all-day breakfast burrito.

]]>
Get Thee to a … Shrine? The Vegan-Friendly “Shukubo” of an Ancient Tokyo Village is a Must-Visit for Anyone Who Needs to Seriously Unwind&nbsp;&nbsp;TravelSun, 12 Aug 2018 01:00:00 -0700https://vegnews.com/2018/8/get-thee-to-a-shrine-the-vegan-friendly-shukubo-of-an-ancient-tokyo-village-is-a-must-visit-for-anyone-who-needs-to-seriously-unwind
https://vegnews.com/2018/8/get-thee-to-a-shrine-the-vegan-friendly-shukubo-of-an-ancient-tokyo-village-is-a-must-visit-for-anyone-who-needs-to-seriously-unwind

Three-and-a-half million people pass through Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station every day, so it’s hard to believe that amidst the mayhem of the unrelenting crowd, you could reach a vegan paradise in less than a couple of hours. Yet that’s exactly the case, and the efficient transportation system seems devised for liberation from the world’s most populated metropolitan area. Two trains, a bus, and a cable car—each more sedately paced than the last—lands you in Oshi, a magical village on Mount Mitake boasting 25 tranquil shukubo. If you visit, be forewarned: Your life will never be the same again.

Walk into history Normally, shukubo indicate Buddhist temple lodgings, but Japan’s indigenous religion, Shinto, has shrines. Each of Oshi’s shukubo, complete with with its own priest, provides religious services for donating members, but also operates like a traditional inn (religion is definitely not required). For 1200 majestic years, Musashi Mitake Shrine has drawn pilgrims. First were mountain ascetics, performing difficult rituals in search of spiritual growth. Later, there were samurai. Commoners, finally allowed around 1600, formed associations through which to save money and send representatives, who stayed in the shukubo. Visitors today tend to be hikers enjoying the untrammeled nature of the 485 square-mile Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park. Luckily, it’s also a vegan paradise. With advance notice, most shukubo will omit animal products entirely, a solution made easier by the fact that local specialties are already of the vegetable variety: fresh wasabi root, sourced from clear streams feeding into the rushing Tama River, and konnyaku “sashimi,” handmade in each household from konnyaku potatoes harvested on the mountain.

Choose your own adventureAt Mitake Station, every other passenger seems dressed for serious hiking. Some visitors choose to stay at a shukubo that offers takigyo, huddling under a cool waterfall at dawn—an experience similar to those sought by ancient ascetics. My travel companion and I selected two lodgings known for panoramas and provisions: Mitake Sanso and Kuraya. As with many traditional Japanese lodgings, pampering begins the moment you step over the threshold, which at Mitake Sanso was a roofed torii gate adorned with a good-sized shimenawa, a straw rope decorated with paper shide indicating a sacred space. We arrived in the late afternoon, and were greeted by Youko Kanai, chef and co-owner with her husband, Kunitoshi Kanai. After being shown to a tatami room overlooking the majestic forest, we changed into the yukata and haori jackets provided, and eagerly made our way to the women’s bath. Because I learned to cook while living in a thatched farmhouse in the mountains near Kyoto, I was familiar with many of the sansai (wild vegetables) still commonly used at these shukubo, so it was like meeting old friends at every meal. However, the elaborate multi-course meals, similar to shojin ryori—the food of Buddhist monks—were nothing I’d experienced before.

Bring new dimension to eating your veggiesOn our first evening there, one of the many vegan delicacies served to us in a private dining room at Mitake Sanso was konnyaku sashimi with ginger and mustard; a stewed mix of bamboo shoots, kabocha and Japanese snap peas; fried eggplant and fresh myoga (Japanese ginger); homemade pickled daikon in two colors; stewed wasabi stems; dried persimmon; and fresh scallion with miso paste. And those were just the appetizers! The second course was a lovely mixed tempura kakiage with a variety of sansai, such as kogomi (ostrich fern) and koshiabura, which contains nutrients that help lower high blood pressure while providing a heap of antioxidants. Floating in the clear kelp broth was a sprig of mitsuba and a delicate flower of fu, the gluten used in much Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. After another bath and a snack of some tea and rice crackers, which we enjoyed in our room—followed by a nightscape twinkling with faraway lights—we settled on our futons for a restful sleep. We awoke early, dropped our bags at Kuraya, and hiked to the Rock Garden, a forested valley dotted with stones and waterfalls. Lunch out at one of the simple restaurants lining the shopping street on the way to the shrine was soba, one hot and one cold, and some more konnyaku sashimi.

Experience powerful, ancient culinary practicesUp the street from Mitakesanso, Kuraya is a 30-year-old building replacing an Edo-era thatched one. This building was a sister to the Tangible Cultural Property Baba-ke Oshi Jutaku (House), standing now in newly rethatched glory. All four meals we ate at the shukubo were surprising in their simplicity, seasonality, and presentation, but Kuraya’s breakfast stood out for the depth of flavor in such humble dishes as stewed konbu (kelp), carrots, burdock root, and soybeans; steamed uguisuna (mini turnips); and sautéed udo (Japanese spikenard). My partner and I agreed that we had never experienced more centered and grounded mealtimes than during this trip.

Notably, the eldest proprietor of Kuraya—priest Yutaka Suzaki—is worried about the village’s economy. But based on the food alone, it seems that for the vegan-friendly shukubo of Mount Mitake, the future is bright. Whether you want your visit to revolve entirely around the pristine nature of the national park, or you are looking for a multi-pronged trip including daytime gallivants to Tokyo followed by nighttimes relaxing over an incredible vegan meal, sumptuous bath, and blissful sleep, there is something here for everyone … as long as it’s paradise, and unsurpassed relaxation, you are hoping to find.

Freelance writer and translator Maggie Hohle lived in Japan for 15 years, learning local culinary practices from widows in her Miyamacho neighborhood.

Almost instantly, sparks were flying when Clare and Cheryl Madrigal were introduced at a Southern California gay bar. “I fell in love with Cheryl’s nerdy, sweet, demeanor,” Clare says. “And her dance moves.” So it’s only fitting that the brides and their guests boogied their way from the ASL-interpreted ceremony to the massive Pride Parade in Washington, DC for their reception. There, they gathered on specially reserved bleachers that offered a perfect view of all the festivities.

The date: June 10, 2017RSVPs: 100The budget: $10,000Where they met: Unwittingly employed at the same hospital in Southern California, Nurse Clare and Dr. Cheryl finally crossed paths when introduced at a local bar.Love story: Clare moved cross-country to Miami for a medical residency, but the long-distance relationship didn’t last long. Soon, Cheryl and their dog Pumpkin followed so they could be a family once again.The proposal: Clare placed a ring on her beloved’s finger as Cheryl slept on New Year’s Eve. When the clock hit midnight, Cheryl woke up and said, “Yes.”

Where they tied the knot: The ceremony and multi-cultural meal were held on a friend’s sprawling property in Adelphi, MD, followed by a reception at Washington, DC’s Pride Parade.

The cake: Mint, almond fudge, peanut butter, strawberry margarita, and vanilla latte cupcakes from Cupcake Wars-winning Sticky Fingers BakeryDécor inspo: From the lanterns that illuminated their tent to the tropical salad to the unicorn-adorned Porta-Potty on site, no element went without a touch of rainbow.The wedding song: “She Keeps Me Warm” by Mary Lambert

Personal touch: The couple’s dog Pumpkin served as ring-bearer, toting the wedding bands on a rainbow pillow crafted by Madrigal.Best wedding gift: Along with donations to their favorite nonprofit organizations, the couple received a food processor that has completely transformed their at-home cooking routine.

The next day: The duo attended the Equality March for Unity and Pride in DC, then headed to the Pride festival to volunteer at a booth together.The honeymoon: Clare and Cheryl spent their “agave-moon” in Cancun, Mexico for fun in the sun and lots of oceanside drinks.

Can’t get enough of vegan weddings? Pick up a copy of the July+August 2018 issue of VegNews, on newsstands now! And discover all of the caterers, cake makers, wedding venues, and photographers used by our 2018 couples by clicking here. Don’t miss these other spectacular plant-based weddings:

Miami vegan chef Todd Erickson is crafting a special vegan menu for Emerald restaurant at the esteemed Anse Chastanet resort in St. Lucia. The chef—who created the upscale menu for restaurant GLAM Vegan Miami—will focus the menu on fresh produce found on the island to create an elevated plant-based dining experience. “The menu will very much depend on what will be in season,” Erickson said, “but there will definitely be cocoa and tropical fruit involved, as well as fresh tamarind, squash, greens and nuts.” While the menu is not yet set for this season, the chef is testing dishes such as tacos, spring rolls, pots de crème, and gazpacho. Chef Erickson’s menu will be served from October 9 until 14.

Plant-based company Impossible Foods unveiled a new ad campaign to promote its mission to remove all animal products from the food industry by 2035. The company launched a 90-second video ad—which will appear on platforms such as YouTube, Hulu, and Instagram—that features an astronaut who returns to an Earth that has been restored to what he calls “paradise,” presumably after animal agriculture has disappeared from the food industry. The video concludes with a statement from Impossible Foods that it is on a mission, “not to Mars.” Impossible Foods launched its plant-based Impossible Burger in 2016, and has since expanded its distribution to nearly 3,000 points of distribution, including major fast-food chain White Castle. However, during a 2017 press briefing, CEO Patrick O. Brown stressed that Impossible Foods is not merely a burger company. “We want to completely replace animals as a food production technology by 2035,” Brown said. “We are working on producing all foods that we get from animals.”

Impossible Foods voluntarily tested its “heme” (a novel ingredient crucial to the meat-like attributes of the Impossible Burger) on rats to obtain FDA approval, a step Brown explained in a statement last year. “Nobody is more committed or working harder to eliminate exploitation of animals than Impossible Foods,” Brown said. “Avoiding the dilemma was not an option. We hope we will never have to face such a choice again, but choosing the option that advances the greater good is more important to us than ideological purity.” To further its mission of replacing animal products with plants, the company plans to increase production of its Impossible Burger to 500,000 plant-based patties per month by scaling its capacity at its current Oakland-based facility and opening a second production center in the coming months.

In conjunction with the new ad, three “astronauts” were deployed in New York City to promote the company’s mission of eliminating animals from the food system. “Patrick Brown is the first CEO of a company that’s ever said to me, ‘Don’t put the product in this [ad],’” Impossible Foods Executive Creative Director Sasha Markova told Marketing Dive. “The point of the film is not to get people to buy a burger, but to join the mission.”

A 350-pound vegan s’more was created in Los Angeles last weekend in an attempt to break the previous Guiness World Record held by a 267-pound non-vegan s’more. Vegan brand Dandies partnered with Los Angeles-based film studio Pollution: Studios to create the massive vegan dessert, which was made with 100 pounds of Dandies marshmallows (which 600 volunteers hand-roasted throughout the night), more than 150 pounds of Enjoy Life Foods dark chocolate, and more than 80 pounds of vegan graham crackers (custom made by Calipto Foods) that were all assembled into 4-foot by 8-foot sandwich. “I’ve always thought that anything they can do, we can do vegan,” Dan Reed, Director of Marketing for Chicago Vegan Foods (parent company of Dandies), told VegNews. “Only we decided to do it bigger. We see this as a giant way to educate folks that there are more compassionate ways to enjoy our favorite around-the-campfire treat.” Guinness Book of World Records officials are currently verifying that the vegan s’more holds the new official record. “In the meantime,” Reed said, “we’ll be over here celebrating National S’mores Day [by] eating lots of miniature versions of the 350-pound monster we created this past weekend.”